Rick Levine Astrology for April, 2019

I think I’m gonna drop a monthly astrology diddy for anyone who would be interested in astrology, as I have been for decades. I’ve chosen a favorite person, Rick Levine. I have others, which I’ve shared before, but I think I’ll gauge the interest here in Rick Levine. For anyone wishing to discuss ANYTHING in this ancient practice, especially evolutionary astrology, I’d sure participate in that, too…

I’ve read Jeffrey Woolf Greene’s Pluto books and some of Steven Forrest’s. So I know a bit of Evolutionary Astrology, but I’m not certain what exactly distinguishes it from other branches, except possibly more of a focus on past and future lives?

You probably already know that I’ve been a student for decades, which was mundane events and little else, until I started reading the interpretations of people like Robert Hand, then for some substance to the subject, Dane Rudhyar. Never really knew the various branches as you’ve mentioned, but I do read and listen to those who are broader with things like Medieval and Esoteric, etc…

Evolutionary Astrology seems the most interesting to me. So, I’ve finally, after many, many years obtained Jeffrey Wolf Green’s Pluto (the evolutionary journey of the soul) Vol I, and I even got Vol II when on a recent trip to Florida. I intend to consume them. That’s why I’m so interested in this time of my life.

Yeah, if I had to guess, the soul’s journey is where it’s at. I’m trying to put to practice an examination of the soul, where you have to start with Pluto. You no doubt read this. I’ve not finished those books yet. However, I’m fascinated by using my astrology program (finally updated Io edition inexpensively for my Macintosh) and reading the natal charts of friends and relatives when it comes to Pluto’s house placement, polarity point and what planets rule the North and South node. It actually HELPS me be a more understanding person.

I wonder if any of our JPR buddies are interested to just talk about that much (after the essentials given to produce a natal chart). I don’t pretend to BE an astrologist, but a learning one, which means that I speak the language better and better, and I can actually look at charts and send pdfs for interested persons.

I can’t wait to fully retire, which will happen in August this year. I’ll be into the second volume of Pluto by then. Meanwhile, I like sharing things that may also interests others.

Yes, I consider Pluto to represent the Soul in the natal chart, too. Pluto also exposes our secrets and tears down what is false, for the purpose of rebuilding something substantial in its place. I feel strongly that we in the Astrological community have been correct in assigning Pluto rulership of Scorpio, and it is amusing to me that science has demoted Pluto (the Soul) to “dwarf planet” status (the same status as Eris and Chiron). Science doesn’t believe in soulfulness, anyway.

The most exciting aspect of my own Astrological work and research has been in discovering some new archetypes, the most recent being Eris/Persephone. Astronomical rules hold that the Astronomer who discovers a new planet gets to name it. Well, this Astronomer did his research! He noted that ALL of the other planets are named after the Roman Gods used in Astrology. So he wanted to name his new discovery Persephone (the wife of Pluto, dark Goddess of the Underworld), however, that name was already used by an asteroid, and there is an obscure rule in Astronomy that no planet may have the same name as an asteroid. In the meanwhile, he went searching for the mythological figure who closest matched Persephone: before discovering Eris, he named it Lilith and Xena Warrior Princess (both already used). All 4 of these mythological figures describe the new archetype: the dark feminine (who can now carry the Chrone energy that Venus was forced to carry when there were only two feminine figures in the zodiac, Venus and Moon), and many of us believe that Eris/Persephone will come to rule the sign Libra.

I have already read 3 books on this very subject (Eris/Persephone) and the most exciting aspect of a new archetype, for me, is understanding what its psychological purpose is. What is deeper than the concept of soul? (Eris’ orbit is twice that of Pluto–in other words, she goes twice as far inside our psyche as he can get, ergo if she is to be meaningful Astrologically, she must represent a concept that is even deeper than the concept of soulfulness. It turns out that what she represents is difficult to put into words, but Carl Jung said that it is the chaos between the masculine and feminine within us, which drives us all towards individuation–his version of enlightenment. So essentially, she is this chaos that challenges a soul to resolve its own issues. Eris will stand up for the underdog, even when the only means left to do so is violent. She is about truth, and Justice is the Tarot card that represents the sign of Libra. Pluto, the soul, may rule Hades, the afterlife. But Persephone is the archetype who is fit to sit in judgment of; to reflect upon the soul.)

Anyway, I’m always happy to discuss Astrology, even beginning stuff, as long as the person I’m speaking to has an open mind. A healthy dose of skepticism is always a good thing, but I don’t feel the need to preach Astrology to anyone who has a solidly empirical world-view. Some people “get it,” are tuned into subtle energies, others not so much tuned in. But that is the value of free will. We don’t have to be tuned into, or even understand our place in the world around us, the choice to remain in confusion is always ours.

BTW, I took Greene’s Evolutionary Astrology course by mail (10 video cassette tapes) way back around 1997 or 98. When it came to the first homework assignment, I got it back directly from him, and his response to my effort was scathing. I quickly learned that his method of teaching was not for me, and I haven’t had anything to do with them since, though I did sit at a table with him once at an Astrology conference, and we got along fabulously, as he had no idea who I was. Hopefully your experience will be very different from mine. I know there are many Astrologers who have been happy to have chosen his school. And I certainly did learn several useful perspectives from Greene’s work, some that I still apply to my own work.

And if you’re busy with Pluto now, don’t get me started on Chiron, whom I have come to use as the new ruler of Virgo, hahaha. But if you want to discuss any of the Pluto material, I’m at least somewhat familiar with it.

Oh, GOOD! Now, I have another invitation to share stuff with you. I’d LOVE to do that…

I was working on lots of stuff other than astrology today, ending with spring cleanup around the yard. But, since my weekends are 4 days off these last months of working until retirement, I find myself getting my physical stuff done so that I can sit down and read that book to its completion.

How come that didn’t surprise me about JWG and his scathing approach to teaching? I got a glimpse of that when looking at some early conferences that were taped during the 80’s on YouTube. He was smoking so much during those videos, and I got a sense of bare tolerance to some of the questions he was getting. Some people are genius on knowledge and zero in the application of imparting that knowledge. Now, I understand that his health is do bad that he’s disconnected from pretty much everyone, including his daughter, who continues to provide some interesting Zoom Meetings with the astrology world.